Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin 2026 Returns to Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds) to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month

Oro Sólido, BLB, Paquito Acosta’s Héctor Tricoche tribute, and some of the Midwest’s best Puerto Rican food vendors come together on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, Yussef Morales, the Founder and President of the Puerto Rican Festival in Wisconsin in a press release announced that the 13th Annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin returns to Henry Maier Festival Park on Saturday, September 12, 2026, for a full day of Puerto Rican music, food, culture, and family entertainment. The festival will welcome families and visitors from across Wisconsin and the Midwest as Milwaukee prepares to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

 
This year’s music lineup is headlined by legendary merengue group Oro Sólido and features rising Puerto Rican salsa group BLB. Salsa legend Paquito Acosta will perform his hits and present a special tribute to the late Héctor Tricoche. Additional performers and stage announcements will be released soon. (Video link: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DPZ8dfht4/)

 
Food will be one of the festival’s biggest attractions, bringing together some of the best Puerto Rican food vendors in the Midwest. Guests can experience authentic island flavors, traditional dishes, street-food favorites, and desserts from Puerto Rican restaurants, cooks, and food trucks gathered in one festival location.

Beyond the music and food, the festival will feature bomba y plena performances and workshops, a Taíno history exhibit, the Mercado Jíbaro, local vendors, community activations, and activities for children and families.

 
“People come for the music, but the food is just as important to the experience,” said festival founder Yussef Morales. “We are proud to bring together some of the best Puerto Rican food vendors in the Midwest so families can enjoy the flavors, sounds, history, and traditions of Puerto Rico in one of the best venues in the country.”

 
Founded in 2013, the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin has grown into one of the Midwest’s major Puerto Rican cultural celebrations, creating a family-friendly destination that brings Puerto Rico to Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Posted on August 3, 2026

Source: Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

45-year-old Abel Gonzales Salinas Stabbed To Death, Milwaukee Police Seek Suspect(s) Connected The The Homicide

Stabbing homicide reported at S. 28 St. and W. Greenfield Ave. in Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

August 1, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin- On Friday, Milwaukee police responded to a stabbing at 7:00 p.m. at the 1300 block of S. 28 Street in the Southside of Milwaukee. Police located Abel Gonzales Salinas, 45, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Salinas was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Police are reviewing nearby outdoor surveillance cameras to determine the identity of the homicide suspect(s).

Salinas is originally from Tequisquiapan, Queretaro, Mexico.

One Female And Three Men Abducted In Milwaukee By Masked MAGA Gestapo USICE Agents On June 27th In The Southside

At least one female and three males were abducted by MAGA Gestapo masked USICE agents in the Southside of Milwaukee on June 27th.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

August 1, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On June 27, 2026, in the morning Fernanda Gomez, 22, and her uncle Miguel Gomez, 31, were stopped by multiple unmarked vehicles, which contained MAGA Gestapo masked USICE agents near S. Chase Avenue and W. Oklahoma Ave. Fernanda and Miguel were forced out of their vehicle at gun point and abducted.

They were both taken to the USICE facility in Milwaukee and separated. Fernanda was later released by USICE and Miguel along with two other men who were picked up by USICE agents that same morning were transported to another undisclosed location.

Fernanda and her family haven't been able to locate Miguel since his arrest in June, and a USICE locator website didn't provide any information about his arrest and where he is currently being detained.

Miguel has lived in Milwaukee for 4 years.

Fernanda indicated that she has contacted Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) about the USICE incident, but VDLF Facebook account hasn't confirmed any USICE arrests for June 27, 2026.

Fernanda and her family decided to come out public on August 1, 2026, and provided the abduction information about Miguel to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) in order to locate her uncle. She is also organizing a fundraising event to help raise funds for legal costs for her uncle and other needs for her family.

21-year-old Xavier Alexis Pérez Jr. Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For The 2nd-degree Reckless Homicide Of Tai Rosa Pérez, 38, Hit-and-run Crash In The Southside Of Milwaukee

Pérez Jr. in a plea agreement with Milwaukee County prosecutors received 20 years in prison with 10 years in confinement and 10 years supervision for 2nd-degree reckless homicide in the hit-and-run death of Pérez. Pérez Jr. is not related to Pérez, the deceased crash victim.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 31, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, Xavier Alexis Pérez Jr, 21, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for 2nd-degree reckless homicide for the August 26, 2024 hit-and-run deadly crash that claimed the life of Tai Rosa Pérez, 38, at the 2200 block of S. Muskego Avenue in the Southside of Milwaukee.

In a plea agreement with Milwaukee County prosecutors, Pérez Jr. pleaded guilty on June 5, 2026 and the felony hit-and-run charge was dismissed, but read into the record when he was sentenced on Monday.

According to the criminal complaint, police say Pérez Jr. was heading Southbound on S. Muskego Ave. at a high rate of speed (70 mph, according to vehicle's computer data) in a stolen Cadillac SUV (reported stolen on August 23, 2024 at Brady and Marshall Streets), when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed head-on into Pérez who was heading Northbound.

Pérez Jr. and a passenger (identified as his girlfriend) on the stolen SUV fled the scene after the crash. The motor of the SUV was located about 175 feet from the crash, according to police.

Police located Pérez Jr.'s girlfriend after an anonymous tip identified both of them. At first she denied being at the crash scene, but blood DNA found inside the Cadillac confirmed she was at the scene with Pérez Jr. Also, she had left her cellphone inside the Cadillac.

Nearby outdoor surveillance cameras footage captured the fatal crash and both Pérez Jr. and his girlfriend running from the scene after the crash. (Video link: https://youtu.be/_PCU8Y4eL0g)

$156K Settlement Reached In The Powless vs MATC Federal Court Civil Rights Discrimination Lawsuit Filed By Dr. Eva Martinez Powless

MATC payee records showed that Dr. Martinez Powless was issued a $156,000 check labeled "Legal Settlement" dated April 6, 2026, according to the MATC Board of Trustees May 26, 2026 meeting records.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 30, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On April 6, 2026, the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) issued a $156,000 legal settlement check to Dr. Eva Martinez Powless after reaching a settlement agreement by both parties in the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by Powless Martinez for back pay and punitive damages. Dr. Martinez Powless, the former first Milwaukee Area Technical College Vice-President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on December 30, 2024, filed a civil rights discrimination complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Milwaukee District and claimed that MATC violated her right to equal employment.

Dr. Martinez Powless was terminated from her position at MATC on April 15, 2024, according to the federal complaint. (HNNUSA article link: https://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/01/federal-civil-rights-complaint-claims.html?m=1)

Dr. Martinez Powless claimed that MATC knownly conducted the malicious discriminatory and retaliatory practices, willfully causing Martinez Powless to suffer substantial economic and non-economic damages, severe mental anguish and emotional distress.

According to the federal complaint, Martinez Powless began to get complaints from MATC employees that they were experiencing discrimination, harassment, retaliation and were not being promoted to other positions when applying for job openings.

When she brought up the MATC employees complaints to her direct manager, Phillip King, the Executive Vice-President of Student Success at MATC, he began to exclude her from leadership team meetings and began to bully her, including the practice of micro-aggression at the workplace, micromanaging her work and treating her in "an unprofessional and inappropriate way", and denying her the same terms and conditions of employment available to employees who are not Latina or immigrants.

Shortly after Dr. Martinez Powless's termination at MATC in April 2024, the MATC Board of Trustees selected Dr. Anthony Cruz as the current President at the technical college on May 2, 2024 during a board meeting.

Since, Dr. Cruz had been hired, he has failed to effectively neutralize the ongoing internal hostile work environment that employees and instructors have been facing for years at MATC. (Here's the October 2024 MATC Board meeting video where Luz Sosa, Carlos Aranda, Patricia Gómez and others exposed the hostile, harassment, retaliation and discrimination practices by leadership administrators at the technical college. https://youtu.be/Lm_ImpZGXn4)

In last two years that Dr. Cruz has worked at the technical college, MATC has doubled its deficit and is facing a $2.5 deficit in 2027. (HNNUSA article link: https://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2026/07/matc-president-anthony-cruz-celebrates.html?m=0)

Today at MATC, there is only one Latina high ranking administrator left in Dr. Cruz's administration. Most of the MATC administrators are composed of White males, according to the administration staff make up.

Most of the Latino/Hispanic high ranking administrators at MATC have either left the technical college for better opportunities, terminated or alleged forced retirement.

Also today, MATC and Dr. Cruz are facing and additional discrimination complaints with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division after four former student services specialists (Hispanic/Latino, African-American, Asian-American and Native-American) of the Office of Multicultural Student Services were terminated in August 2025, which the Multicultural student services were phased out (eliminated) and replaced by the Office of Community Impact. (HNNUSA article link: https://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/11/four-former-student-services.html?m=1)

The current MATC Board of Trustees at link: 

Board of Directors | MATC https://share.google/XlUbk3aq01QMqfpNU

54-year-old Sherry May Long Fatally Struck By Vehicle At The 1100 Block Of W. Historic Mitchell Street In The Southside Of Milwaukee

Long was apparently seating on the Westbound street pavement along W. Historic Mitchell Street when a vehicle struck her causing her death.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 29, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified Sherry May Long, 54, of Oshkosh as the victim of a fatal vehicle collision that resulted in her death. According to witnesses at the scene, Long was seating on the Westbound street lane at the 1100 block of W. Historic Mitchell Street around 11:35 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026 when the Westbound vehicle struck her. Long was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The female driver of the vehicle that struck Long remained at the scene.

Police continue with the ongoing death investigation.

Four Hispanic Teens Identified, Driver Lost Control Of Truck While Speeding On The S. Cicero Avenue Bridge At 69th Street And Plunged Into A Train Box Car Killing Them On Impact In Southwest Chicago

Illinois State Police and Chicago police attempted to stop a red Chevy truck with four teens inside (two males, 2 females), after a report of a rifle taken out of window by teen and aiming it at police vehicle.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 27, 2026

Chicago, Illinois - On Sunday, four teens died after the red Chevy truck they were traveling in lost controlled at the Cicero Avenue bridge on 69th Street and plunged into a train box car underneath. The driver of the truck was fleeing Chicago police at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the truck and went over the bridge. (Video link: https://youtu.be/1y8CVXLLFdA)

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the four teens as, Yuarem García-Peña, 18, from Woodstock; Christopher López Montan, 19, from Woodstock; Yaritza Martinez Villeda, 17, from Crystal Lake and Vanessa Morales, 14, from Palestine in Illinois.

According to Illinois State Police (ISP), one of the teens in the truck pointed a rifle at a police vehicle. When ISP attempted a traffic stop at the 5500 block of S. Cicero Avenue, the driver briefly stopped, but then he sped away. ISP called for backup and Chicago police joined the pursuit of the fleeing truck. The driver of the truck apparently lost control at the 6900 block of S. Cicero Avenue in Bedford Park neighborhood while going at a high rate of speed and went off (became airborne) the bridge around 2:16 a.m. and plunged head on into a train box car underneath the bridge. A video surveillance camera under the bridge capture the moment the truck flew into the train box car and the impact killed three of the teens (two males and one female). The surviving female teen was conveyed to the Advocate Christ Medical Center where she later succumbed to her injuries of the crash and was pronounced deceased.